Thursday, April 17, 2014

Life after Early Intervention

Early Intervention came to a bit of an abrupt halt for us last month. It had been on our minds for a bit to switch to private therapies, but we were far from making a decision or coordinating a transition. It became clear to us that Virginia was not going to qualify for an IEP through our school system at 3 (which is only 6 months away!), so it was the push we needed to switch over to community enrichment activities and private therapies. It does make me a little nervous to not be in the "system" anymore. I worry about whether or not she will need an IEP at kindergarden or beyond and how hard it will be to get that now that we are no longer on the train, so to speak. Virginia's needs right now mostly fall under physical therapy, but are not severe enough that they would impact her educational or classroom needs so thusly in our district she would not qualify for an IEP or services at this point.

So where does this put us? A little bit in limbo. A really great, but a bit overwhelming limbo. I'm fearful to miss something, but we are all very happy to be navigating things on our own. For now, and possibly for all spring and summer we are focusing on community activities that challenge Virginia physically. Naturally I think we will see a lot of progress again this spring and summer just because there are so many opportunities for her to blossom in her physical development in this nice weather. Playing on the sandy beach, climbing on the playground, and navigating our yard are all some of the best PT around!

We also go to weekly "my gym" class where Virginia is really challenged physically. She intently watches and imitates the other kids in class and really challenges herself. As her Mom, it can be tough to not compare in this environment though. Her coordination, cautiousness, shyness, and sensory quirks all become very obvious in these classes. Similarly, her determination, wit, ability to follow direction, and silliness also become obvious. These weekly classes have been a good starting point for us. We hope to try out swimming (or a more formal aquatherapy), a music/dance class, and hippotherapy at some point too.

The question now is when to add back in regular PT. Should she go weekly? Should she get OT too? Where is it going to fit into the schedule? Should we just take the summer off and see what happens? It will all get sorted out but we are not in a rush. The break has been really nice and to be honest I think it has been great for all of us.

So there is life after Early Intervention. It doesn't mean that everything is "all better." There is still work to do, but also a point for us to look back and see all that Virginia (and we) accomplished. Another transition of pride, progress and fear. A chance for us to regain more control.

2 amazing micropreemies at my gym together!

Swinging, Walking in the sand, and egg hunting all were our PT last week ;)